*Ding*
Obsidian Flame has reached Bronze Rank
Monica acted on impulse, following all her instincts and immediately shoving Dworsul aside, running out of the forge.
"Stay here, old man!" She shouted, taking a deep breath and getting on the outside before a big Corrupted Molten Wasp, Soldier could enter the forge.
She didn't care about having the Wasp in a closed off space for herself. What she was worried about—or rather whom—was Dworsul.
Somehow, the Obsidian Flame had reached the Bronze Rank, but given the immediate crisis, she didn't have time to read what that meant.
No, the moment she was out in the open, she immediately had to dive left by using Phoenix Step in order to dodge a veritable waterfall of molten resin.
And as soon as that happened, she saw the levels of her enemies.
[Corrupted Molten Wasp, Soldier - Level 150]
[Corrupted Molten Wasp, Soldier - Level 145]
[Corrupted Molten Wasp, Soldier - Level 144]
Thankfully, there weren't too many.
Even though they're still Soldiers, Monica reasoned, keeping all three in her Mana Sense vision, waiting for a move.
She sensed another large splurt of resin coming her way and she dodged. This time, however, a second Wasp did the same, trying to catch her right where she had rolled over.
Dammit!
A hail of searing resin arced toward her. Monica dove aside, triggered Phoenix Step, and streaked across the chamber. She narrowly avoided a second spurt of molten resin that sizzled on the floor and hardened into a jagged crust. The wasps coordinated their attacks with disconcerting intelligence: two spat resin while the third dashed in with a lethal stinger-thrust aimed at her back.
Gritting her teeth, Monica activated Phoenix Step again, blending Golden and Obsidian flames in a hasty zigzag that took her out of range, but only barely. One miscalculation, and she could be pinned in place, easy prey for the stingers.
They’re so much faster than the Scouts…
When she infused Phoenix Step with the Obsidian Flame, however, she had felt something weird. It was like the same vacuum she felt when she used Fire Transmutation.
What in the—
Again, she didn't have time to think.
She activated Phoenix Feathers and immediately turned them into blazing red, burning appendages with Fury of the Phoenix. She instantly felt the extent of her full powers, even though Phoenix Feathers gave her the same sensation that Phoenix Step had given her.
What is happening?
She had no time to dwell on it. One of the wasps spat resin in a wide fan, forcing her to roll aside. Another soared behind her, its stinger angled downward in a dive-bomb.
Finally, after dodging two resins attacks, instead of dodging again, she activated Phoenix Cloud, creating an angry-looking black cloud and stepping on it right as the Wasp Soldier dive-bombed at her.
Monica dodged the stinger and the bite of the Wasp, landing a devastating punch but noting that the damage she had inflicted upon the monster was barely enough to scratch its metal chitin.
I'm screwed, Monica realized.
She dropped to the ground, swiftly activating Golden Flame to heal the recoil damage vibrating up her arm. The stinger lunged again, and she just barely deflected it with the Twin Phoenix Bracers. Yet the force rattled her teeth, throwing her off-balance.
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A second wasp, seeing her stumble, spat a thick glob of resin. She twisted at the last second, letting the resin splash harmlessly next to her boots. That precarious dodge gave the third wasp an opening to stab down with its stinger. Monica deflected again, but the jarring impact sent her skidding across the metal floor.
The dive-bomber soon was upon her.
Monica’s fists burned with the Obsidian Flame as she attacked with everything she had. In one swift move, she unleashed a full Obsidian Impact—three heavy strikes against the dive-bomber’s armored shell. Yet the stubborn Soldier barely flinched.
She focused her power and aimed a precise strike at the joint where the wing met the body—the same tactic she had used for the scouts. For a moment, her hand gripped the hard surface. Then, the Soldier twisted suddenly, countering with a quick move. Its stinger cut into her arm, and a searing pain exploded through her body, forcing her back.
“Argh!” she cried. The attack had caught her off guard, and the burning pain made her stagger. Without a second thought, Monica activated the Golden Flame. A warm, healing light spread from her hand, mending her wounds—but the relief was brief. The dive-bomber lunged at her again.
Forced to use the Golden Flame again and again, she could feel her strength slipping away with every burst of healing.
“I can’t let this thing win,” she growled as she gritted her teeth. The dive-bomber circled back.
Once again, in a desperate effort, Monica feinted to the left and lunged forward, reaching for the wing’s joint to tear it away. But the Soldier moved just in time. Its intact wing struck back with a force that sent her crashing onto the metal floor.
Slumped on one knee, chest heaving, Monica glanced around. Her normal speed and strength weren’t cutting it. Even Obsidian Impact hits, fueled by her Bronze-Rank Skills, barely dented their carapaces. In a straight slugfest, she’d lose. She needed something more.
Another wave of resin hissed overhead, forcing her to scramble sideways. An idea flickered at the edges of her mind, recalling that strange pull in her Skills: the one she had felt upon using Phoenix Step and Phoenix Feathers just moments ago. With no time to be cautious, she let instinct take over.
She conjured another Phoenix Cloud using her Obsidian Flame. Ordinarily, the swirling black platform formed below her feet with minimal Mana cost. This time, she fed it—intentionally letting that ravenous vacuum sink into her Vitality. The moment she did, the Skill’s speed soared beyond anything she had experienced before. In an explosive burst, she launched forward at breakneck velocity, leaving afterimages of black flame swirling behind her.
“What the—?!”
The wasp never saw it coming. Monica’s fist, shrouded in Obsidian Impact, collided with its thorax in a thunderous crunch. The chitin fractured, sending molten-black gore spewing out in a sticky arc. Stray droplets sizzled on her forearm, but she was too high on adrenaline to care.
The recoil, however, shattered her own arm bones from elbow to wrist. She howled in pain, staggering back. Instantly, Golden Flame threaded into the damaged limb, mending the trauma in seconds. Blood pounded in her ears as her newly repaired arm flexed experimentally. Meanwhile, the wasp reeled, wings beating unevenly, dark orange fluid dripping from the dent in its armor.
It worked…
Awed and exhilarated, Monica realized that this new Vitality burn synergy wasn’t just for forging. Now that the Obsidian Flame had ascended to Bronze Rank, it must have unlocked some hidden trait—one that let her push her Skills to terrifying extremes at the cost of draining her own Vitality.
I have a chance.
Without hesitation, she stepped again onto a Phoenix Cloud of black flame, pushing that strange vacuum to devour another chunk of Vitality. Her body blurred forward so fast the next Wasp soldier barely had time to turn. She drove a savage punch into its abdomen, fracturing chitin around the joints of its legs. Then she kicked off a wall—similarly igniting Phoenix Step with the Obsidian flame—and ricocheted at twice the speed, smashing into the Wasp’s head with Obsidian Impact.
Chitin cracked. Molten gore—dark with blazing orange rivulets—spewed everywhere as a third of the creature’s skull caved in. The wasp lurched, wings fluttering in a broken drone, and crashed to the ground. It might still be alive, but it could no longer fly straight.
Monica landed heavily, panting. Her ankles trembled from the harsh impact, and threads of black smoke curled off her body. Just as she steadied herself, she sensed more shapes through Mana Sense. Three additional Corrupted Molten Wasps soared toward her from the corridor.
She wasn’t afraid this time. Thrilled, even. That new synergy with her Bronze-Rank Obsidian Flame was intoxicating—enough that she had to be careful not to lose herself to that lust for raw power.
Still, she chose to inject the Obsidian Flame's new power into her greatest asset—Phoenix Feathers.
Her original three Phoenix Feathers glimmered, instantly shifting from bright red-orange to a glossy obsidian black, each feather’s edge crackling with chaotic energy. Veins of black flame spread under her skin, winding up her neck and lacing across her cheeks, forming a striking pattern. Even her eyes felt different—the scleras darkened, leaving her iris a stark, vivid color.
“Let’s see what you can do,” she growled to herself, voice shaking with adrenaline.
As the next wave of wasps converged, an immense pressure poured out from her body, forming a tangible shockwave that rippled across the corridor. Dust and debris kicked up in a swirl around her feet. The nearest wasps reeled midair, disoriented by her sudden aura.
Monica crouched low, black flames coiling around her calves. When she kicked off the ground, she left a small crater in the reinforced metal floor beneath her boots. It sent her streaking upward, fists cocked, to meet the charging wasps head-on.